Bungie hopes to knock COD4 off top spot

Halo 3 hasn't been top of the pops on Major Nelson's Xbox Live activity charts for a little while now, but Bungie plans to fight back.

"We have a lot of awesome new content coming up. We're not walking away from Halo 3," Bungie's community lead Brian Jarrard told Eurogamer last week at GDC.

"We have a group of people at the studio that are just focused on keeping the game going strong for the foreseeable future, so I think we'll continue to evolve and I expect there to be a back-and-forth [between us and COD4] for a while."

As much as I think Halo 3 will gain the top spot again down the road. For right now, COD4 offers a lot more depth and tactical prowess for players. If Bungie wants the top spot again, they're gonna have to make future content free, just to get me interested again.

Since there was no competition and Bungie was like getting overconfident but now they have seen that they have to go for changes in there technique to get agian to top spot. I know they will certainly do it again. The upcoming map pack has better graphics than older ones.

Add a fuc*ing custom games browser and people will come flocking back. Bungie is so stupid, they think releasing 2 low quality maps every 6 months for $10 bucks is going to make people care. Fix the bugs and make it so we can play customs with other people when are friends aren't online.

... it was too much for what we got. And then we still don't have a full integration of users yet. Slayer on Forge is broke (lagged) and has been since day one. Tactical games seem to always come up and everyone seems too stupid to know how to defend a flag. I agree the theatre is AMAZING (take note devs this should be in every game now) and the team based tactics are superior (or rather more intuitive for the win) in Halo3 but the TrueSkill crap is just that ... CRAP!!! I do incredible, my team sux and we loose, I gain nothing... I do horrible but my team wins yet unfortunately we were selected to face a lesser opponent so we gain 1 ex pt and no "up" in rank. Yet if I do absolutely wretched but my team keeps winning against people they shouldn't my skill goes up... come on... "true skill" ... I call BS!! Braggin' rights are cool but they aren't gonna hold the attention of an average gamer. That's why people are dwindling away from Halo3. There is no reward for continuing to play... Bungie somehow thinks dangling that butt-ugly Recon Armor in front of us is gonna keep us coming back... don't think so, guys. Neither is achievement grinding. CoD4 rewards every last kill. If you're in a crappy lobby (too many idiots to mute)you can leave without penalty and retain something from the kills you had. The RPG'ish aspect of unlocking Perks and Weapons... friggin' brilliant. That is why all my friends who used to play H3 every night have totally switched. I played both game's betas and I told my friends this was gonna happen but they didn't listen. The only downside of CoD4 MP for me is connection and host migration and Infinity Ward's takin' care o' those next patch plus a few more awesome additions. I bought Halo3 opening night in Redmond and met lots o' Bungie peeps ... good guys... but Bungie's gonna have to work really, really hard to get more $$$ outta me for H3.

I think Halo 3 is a great game, without a doubt. Numbers dont lie. That being said I havent touched it since COD4 came out. The fact is that most people who have migrated to COD4 have been playing the Halo frnachise since Halo 1 and wanted something new.

I would venture to guess that many of those currently playing Halo 3 are those who jumped on with Halo 2 and who still havent gotten the Halo "bug" out completely. But obviously hardcore gamers, those who have been playing Halo from day one, are a big chunk of the audience and COD4 is enough like Halo to offer the same fast paced action but with a whole new set of toys to play with.

My guess, new maps will give Halo 3 some more life, but with new games coming out that may nip away at it, and with COD4's new patch and future maps coming out, I think its popularity will dwindle over the next year.

Yes, I do know that. In fact, that was my point. You can own either console, or both, or all, and not be an @$$. Try telling that to the guys above my post though. Go ahead, take a glance through their post histories and tell me that they're not 360-hating trolls.

I don't personally own all consoles, but I know several people who do. Why so many people on this site act so radical and pathetic is beyond me.

as the first game...how lame is that?! Escape on your warthog while everything blows up, but we wont make it as fun as the first time...and we'll kill characters before their character arc says its time.

oh yeah, we'll also charge you 10$ for maps and reward those bought them by reducing their appearance in the rotation. Suckers...

Oh yeah you can make your own maps too, but you can't search peoples custom games. We wouldn't want you taking advantage of the whole internet gaming user created content thing.

Wow BenzMoney really likes Halo 3. But if Halo 3 was so great would you have to defend it so vigorously? I like Halo 3 but just because other people do not does not mean they are a Sony fan; get over yourself.

I've played Halo 3 once since COD4 came out. I'm practically on the verge of selling Halo 3 on eBay. I just don't ever see myself pulling that disc out when it sits next to COD4 on the shelf. The only thing that keeps me from doing it is the fear that my 360 will eat COD4 one night and I'll have to stick Halo 3 in just for something to play. It's basically still in my collection as an emergency backup.

I guarantee the reason you don't play Halo 3 is because you suck garbage at it. Halo 3 takes alot more skill to play at higher levels. It is very easy to kill people in COD4 at any level and any game type. I own both and play them equally.

cause Ive had them all and all multiplayer has improved in each whit halo3 the most ballanced. Halo 1 had no online and was all about three shot pistol kills. Halo 2 was off because it was all dual wielding or bRs if you were lucky enough to get one. Recently I played halo 2, even upscaled, on my tv and it still looked like massive crap next to halo 3.

I disagree, skill is hand eye coordination and reflexes. COD4 is much faster paced then Halo 3 and reflexes play a much bigger role. In halo is is so easy to get a head shot. Another example is in halo 3 that 2 semi-noobs can kill a good person. This is not the case for COD4, 1 good person can easily down 2 not so great people in a few seconds.

First understand that, Halo 3 is a very good game on its own and easily beats game like Lost planet (360), COD 3 and FEAR right on spot but its not as good as it was thought to be. Espaecailly some user complain abt controls but those who had been with Halo might be knowing that Meele and grenades are very important in Halo 3. Those who are new might have been trying to shoot there way out but you have to learn abt meele and grenade to get through Halo and this goes very imprtant in Multiplayer. But I must also add Halo 3 MP is really very good but COD4 deafeats it due to its own merits and may be the graphics. But other than COD4 which is phenomenal tell me any other game that has done that.

I don't see anyway Halo 3 can top COD 4. I mean Halo 3 isn't as good as Halo 2. The maps are better and the new weapons and equipment are cool but the game play itself isn't nearly as smooth. When I play it I sometimes feel like I am fighting with the controls and the controls don't respond the way they should. Unless Bungie is releasing free content and releases a patch to fix the game play then they are dreaming.

Actually I have played Halo 3 I bought it the day it came out and played it pretty frequently from then until COD 4 came at which point I stopped...because COD is a better game. And if I don't know about the patch that would be because I haven't played it in awhile; probably because once again COD 4 is better. I like the way you think anyone who doesn't like Halo 3 as much as COD 4 is a hater though. You were probably the guy waiting in line at midnight for the release with your Halo 3 strategy guide and all the stupid memorabilia already purchased. And what post history do I have other than this one on the topic of Halo 3?

Once Halo 3 got dethroned, it stays dethroned. Even the several millions of the incompetent Microslaves have at least the smallest amount of intelligence and taste to know that Call of Duty 4 is the pinncale of online shooters as of today. Microslaves are doing the best they can to enjoy the inferior version of Call of Duty on their Red Light 360 platform. The reason why Dark Sniper says it's inferior is due to 360's garbage controller design and poor hardware manufacturing. You cant play Call of Duty if your console doesnt work right?

The reason why Halo 3 has fallen off the holy grail of shooters is simply because the game was overhyped, overrated and only praised by those who have sold their souls to the Microsoft Corporation. Bungie and Microsoft collaborated together in bringing an amazing Halo 3 trailer which was believed to be in game graphics where Master Chief held up his bubble shield. Final result was nothing more than a below high definition display of pure and utter crap. Microsoft once again lied to the minions who blindly follow their console.

So here's hopes that Halo 3 stays at the bottom end of the drain where it belongs. Dark Sniper doesnt give two you know what's what anyone else thinks.

I don't think that Bungie can do a thing about this, they lied to their mindless fans about this over hyped game and are suffering the consequences. And with Infinity ward releasing their updates and new maps. Bungie can't compete...sorry guys this is what happens when you lie cheat and steal.

I agree that the maps so far have been weak. Wasn't too impressed with the last map pack. Hopefully the new ones improve on that. Can't say I agree with the running thing though. Halo isn't meant to be a twitch shooter like Unreal Tournament or Counter Strike. The pace is more or less fine (I personally prefer the speed boosted to 110% - easy to do in a custom game, but it doesn't need to be any faster than that.) The game isn't about spray and pray. If you play tactically and as a team, you don't need a 'run' function.

I am speaking more of a slight boost to get out of trouble. Not something akin to UT3's blistering pace. Just a change of pace similar to CoD4. Halo's gameplay tends to have people hang out in corners and camp instead of actually getting out and battling. I understand the concept of utilizing teamwork, but when everyone is camping it gets quite boring.

I've always found Halo's pace too slow. And the balancing and level design is appalling. Get in a ghost in the larger levels or get a shotgun in the small ones and you're a god. Oh yeah and the jumping has always been ridiculous. It feels like you're fighting on the moon. Timesplitters kicks it's arse any day :D

I totally agree. Sometimes I play UT3 on pc on speed mode. After playing that I played Halo3 and it seemed like I was playing in bullet time. Most of the cod4 maps are great and fun to play. This is untrue for Halo3.

yeah we all have been playing the same game for years its kinda boring now. When I was waiting for halo 3 i thought they would improove on the sound effects and animations and most importantly the graphics. Who knew it took bungie so long just to create FPS instant replay? I thought there would be a awesome mech sound effect for everytime you jumped. I thought there be a few different animations for the melee, not just a turbo rifle but. I actually thought they would include other races into multi-player. Halo 3 is still fun sometimes because its the only game where anything can happen but Ive realized for a long time its just simple childish fun. There aare small improovements like the swords battle and melee depending on health but thats about it. Its really is halo 2 with some dated polish on it and it shows. Its great for the collection but nothing really revolutionary. In fact, I beleive Halo 3 should have built alot of new moves and tricks to play and sound much cooler than it is right now, and because of that I dont play halo 3 anymore. I traded it for store credit to get a ps3 and im playing call of duty 4 NOW.

Halo has always been and overate game and will always be how can look the same in next gen as it did on the original xbox, no innovation now COD 4 that game is revolutionary is something that everyone will copy just look at vegas 2 and COD actually looks next gen.

CoD4 deserves to be where it is right now, although the flaws it has online, it is just overall a better gaming experience.

When your tired of shooting people 100 times to kill them, and the ever so old, alien vs. man scenario, you play CoD4, why? because the damn game is just better than that Garbage, hell almost anything is better than Gaylo 3: The Generic Fps.

It's like apples and oranges, while they both belong to the same genre of FPS, CoD4 is tactical...Halo isn't, since when do aliens present a tactical feel? It's more like survival. While you can argue that CoD4 has game types like FFA it's still a tactical game not a run and gun survival game.

People who play Halo like a "run & gun" or "spray & pray" game are going to get owned. That's probably why they don't like the game. Just because it's about aliens doesn't mean its not tactical. I'd like to see someone win a competitive game of Halo without being tactical - it won't happen.

About the fact that these games ( even though they're both FPS's) cannot be compared. I have to strongly agree with all of Benzmoneys posts on this thread. To be a top player at Halo3 it takes amazing aim, insane communication skills, solid/innovative strategies and you have to be one hell of a team player..Now i don't own COD4 and i was never fond of the COD franchise but i will not argue that COD4 is a good shooter but nothing about it stands out..Graphically its very nice but it kind falls into the "just another shooter" category. I recently played COD4 over the weekend with a buddy who has semi converted from H3 to COD4. I played the first mission and i was impressed with the cinimatics but not the gameplay. The multiplayer was just a camp fest and for some reason i was destroying kids, even my friend. Now either this is because i am a nuatural at FPS or it takes less skill than H3 to compete. I'm thinking its a bit of both but more so the ladder. to tell you the truth , the funnest part of it was the training course trying to beat the 15 second time (got 18.25 seconds like 3 trys into it). And the reason i think he converted was because he was getting owned in H3 and was doing quite well in COD4 so of course you'll like something thats easier to be good at. Basically what i'm getting at is Halo 1,2 and 3 have all be innovative and taken the genre to new levels. H3 >>> COD4 or any other shotter out there because gameplay will always be more important that visuals. halo3 is by far the more complete,competative and innovative shooter available.And as for the alien comment ..STOP PLAYING THE CAMPAIGN if you dont like the story!

As for all the people above and below me saying Halo is dead you should get a little better educated on the subject and a good place to start is www.mlgpro.com. they are ramping up for the 08 season and there will be million of dollars in prize money available and guess what there premier game is?? HALO3!

it's been my biggest peeve with Halo 3. Maybe I was spoiled with the multiplayer maps from Halo 2, but there are only a few that I regularly enjoy playing. Which is why I have been playing Shadowrun. Though it's technically dead.

and hopefully IW will help treyacrh with the next installment of the COD series. I dont know about you guys but Cod wasnt even a good console game till part 4 came out. I hope Treyarch doesnt desicrate the COD name.

Oh yeah,, this article was about Bungie and Halo,, noone cares about halo anymore. Bungie should just throw in the towel, they already made a fool out of themselves once,, now they are just making themselves look even more retarded with this "we are after IW" talk. Its like having a little brother that is always trying to be better than you but cant cause hes too little. Bungie your a rip off.

Pfft, CoD4 is fun but its the same game since the first one and alot of the features it has did borrow some from Halo and other games. CoD4's party system is not that great, Halo 3 and even Halo 2 nailed the matchmaking system. Halo 3 has the saved film features, has forge so you could change the map to make something totally wacky and crazy or make it more MLG style etc.

Tbh, I did play in the CoD4 beta but I don't see why people are saying Halo 3 is the same old same old while they say that CoD4 feels so "fresh and new". No, CoD4 much like Halo 3 is just Halo 2 or CoD3 with better graphics and a few more features.

Are you insane COD 3 sucks and 4 is so awesome if you play Halo for 3 hours then CDO 4 you will never play Halo ever again so there is a big difference between COD 3 and 4 if you don’t see it then you haven’t play the game as for Halo is more of the same and Halo 3 kill the franchise for me it was not even close to what bioshock or COD 4 had to offered Halo is just the past we must look to the future and stop looking at was is already a dead old franchise with more of the same maybe they should look at Resident evil did and bring something new to make something better and until they do Halo is dead.

Both COD4 and Halo3 feel like old games with a new coat of paint and some new features. Which I believe may be exactly what they were going for, which is fine for some. I can't stop playing Shadowrun and have noticed a lot more players of late. Some who never played and some who sold it to get Halo3 or COD4 and went back to buy it again. I consider Shadowrun the best Live multiplayer game so far. Many of those playing agree. I'm just glad there are more people to enjoy this game with me. If you haven't tried it you should. If you do I strongly suggest you do all the tutorials. Hope to gust you soon.

Both games have good and bad shyt.. but both are really good in their own rights.. Halo has the features with descent gameplay and graphics.. COD4 has Outstanding gameplay and Outstanding graphics.. But lacks the extras of halo..

COD4 rocks. I will admit that the stats suck (there aren't enough of them and you can't go back to look at them). And the matchmaking blows... I hate getting tossed into a game with someone 3 prestige levels above me (or more). While I love slapping the fodder around -- it helps my ratio -- I'd rather be seeing more consistent matchmaking at my prestige level.

Other than that, it's simply the best game I have ever played. Halo 2 used to hold that crown, IMHO, but COD4 simply blows it away. Halo 3 wasn't even able to stay in the tray once COD4 shipped. Oops, I mean Halo 2.5.

is the match making. Halo 3 generally does a great job with it's match making.

For 20 bucks used, sometimes even less, Shadowrun is a worthy experience. Usually about 25 games are running at any given time and there are still new people trying the game out. So it's not always vets you go against. Shadowrun is great multiplayer game in my opinion.